Greg Middleton

A His to r y o f Speleo log ic al Do c um en tatio n in Aus tr alia to 2004 Greg Middleton Report on Special Topic 1 Semester 1 2004 Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Karst Management) School of Environmental Sciences Charles Sturt University, Albury NSW June 2004 Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia Contents page Introduction 3 Journals, diaries and personal records 4 Art depicting caves 29 Scientific papers 33 Official reports 37 Guidebooks and picturebooks 40 Popular and non-speleological magazines 44 Speleological serials 47 Cave inventories 53 Books, monographs 56 Conclusions 57 Acknowledgements 58 References 58 Appendix: [separate file] Annotated catalogue of Australian speleological serials to 2004 75 Classified summary 84 - 2 - Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia ABSTRACT The recording of details about caves and karst in Australia is traced from the earliest records of European explorers and travellers, through the development of scientific and official interest in caves, largely related to tourism, to the organised speleology (both amateur and professional) of the latter part of the twentieth century. A detailed catalogue of speleological serials, containing over 130 titles (of which about 30 are probably active), is appended. Some current trends, mainly resulting from digital technology, are discussed. Speleological documentation in Australia is evidently highly dependent on the efforts of volunteers, and thus dependent on their interests and levels of activity. The focus remains on exploration and survey with scientific studies restricted to a few specialists. Introduction Caves and karst have been written about from the earliest times of European settlement in Australia. While Aborigines occupied the continent for perhaps 100,000 years prior to this time, and made extensive use of caves for shelter, ceremony and industry (Jennings 1979), they kept no ‘written’ records pertaining to caves in the sense used by this study. Thus, while this study acknowledges the active interest in and use of caves by the pre-contact Aboriginal population, it does not attempt to address the period prior to the arrival of Europeans and the preparation of written records. The purpose of this paper is to survey of the nature and extent of written records about caves and karst within the national territory of the Commonwealth of Australia, highlighting the particular types of records and the times during which they were principally in use, and citing examples of each. The classification used is a fairly subjective but, I believe, practical one: journals, diaries and personal records are treated first as these are the oldest form of documentation available. Personal records not published at the time or shortly afterwards could have been treated separately (especially as they could have had no direct impact on subsequent events). They have here been identified but otherwise included with published accounts. In the case of serials (and series) expressly focussed on speleological investigations, a complete listing is attempted and current trends, particularly relating to digital publishing, are discussed. - 3 - Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia The details presented are derived from previous work by the author and others, supplemented by original research into both historical and more recent records. References to caves or karst were sought in what were considered ‘likely’ historical sources and as far as practicable original material was sought. Time has not permitted an exhaustive survey and the likelihood of discovering material from the very early phase (pre-1788) remains high. In relation to speleological serials, full details are still not known for all, especially the earlier, less formal, publications and those of smaller, remote and shorter-lived organisations. A bias towards the East Coast – especially N.S.W. – is acknowledged – and is probably inevitable. This is a region of early exploration, first European settlement and the first organised speleology; it is also the region best known to the author. A conscious effort has been made to redress the imbalance but doubtless relevant events and examples from the centre, north and west have been omitted. Journals, diaries and personal records This category of records includes the earliest documentation of caves in Australia. The document types include personal dispatches (which were often not published until many years later, e.g. Phillip 1892, 1914), personal diaries and journals (some of which were rushed into print, e.g. Hunter 1793, but some languished, unpublished for many years before their contents became known, e.g. Lawson 1821, Hellyer 1827). In all cases caves were a relatively minor element in the narrative; perhaps least so in Mitchell (1838). An attempt has been made to include the earliest of these types of records and the more important, but otherwise just relevant parts of a sample of this type of record are reproduced below. As far as is known, no exhaustive listing of these documents exists. The first Europeans to venture to “The Great South Land” were mariners with a strongly- developed tradition of meticulous record-keeping in the form of logs, journals and reports to their superiors. Since some caves are evident from the sea it is logical to expect that the first sighting of a cave (using the term in its widest sense) in Australia would have been by an early mariner. However, the earliest documentation of sightings of caves from the sea known to the author are those by Stirling in Western Australia, as late as 1827 (Stirling 1827). These are addressed below but the possibility of earlier sightings from the sea needs to be further investigated. - 4 - Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia The West Coast of ‘New Holland’ This is the region and period least known by the author and time has not permitted a thorough examination of the records. As many sections of the coast of Western Australia are calcareous and subject to extreme wave action, there is a reasonable likelihood of caves occurring near where landings have taken place in the past. There is thus a chance that caves or karst have been mentioned in the records of early visitors. For example, following the wreck of the Dutch ship, Batavia, in July 1629, the survivors spent an horrendous period prior to the rescue of a few. In Islands of Angry Ghosts, Edwards (1966) noted that: West Wallabi [or Weibbe Hayes’ Island] proved to have far more to offer the castaways than the first large (or High [or East Wallabi]) Island. … Their first water came from brackish pools of stinking rainwater in the low cliffs, but many days later they found wells in the centre of the island – limestone cisterns ten feet deep, large enough for a man to climb down into, with fine clear water at the bottom. They were overjoyed. … Here was enough food and water to last the whole company weeks … until a rescue ship came. (pp.51-52) Evidently, the original records of this disaster make reference to karst; perhaps these ‘cisterns’ should even be regarded as caves, in which case these may be the first caves to have been recorded by Europeans in Australia. Phillip 1788 The earliest reported record of actual caves (again, using the term in its broadest sense) in Australia known to the author is that by Captain Arthur Phillip upon his visit to – or at least, sighting of – sandstone rockshelters at Grotto Point, Port Jackson in January 1788 (for location, see Fig. 1). I have not been able to locate a contemporary account of this visit, but Kennedy and Kennedy (1989, p.95) report: Grotto Point NSW, a locality in Manly1, was first named for the caves found there by the exploratory expedition which Captain Arthur Phillip led to investigate Port Jackson before the First Fleet moved north from Botany Bay in 1 While Grotto Point is within the Municipality of Manly, it is at the southern end of a separate ridge running into Middle Harbour west of Manly, which is a locality at the base of North Head. Grotto Point is on the same promontory as Dobroyd Head, of which it lies immediately to the west. - 5 - Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia January 1788. Lieutenant W. Bradley used the name in his record of explorations in the harbour on 28 January 1788. Certainly, Lieut. Bradley wrote in his Journal (Bradley 1969, p. 67): 29 January 17882: From here we went to Grotto Point, moored the boats for the night and made a tent fore and aft the longboat in which we all slept. By his casual use of the name “Grotto Point” Bradley implies he was familiar with it. Unfortunately he does not state in his Journal when it was named, by whom or whether it was inspired by a particular ‘grotto’. It is also known that on 23rd January 1788, Phillip landed at Manly (Phillip 1789, p. 50) and it is claimed that he noted Aborigines living in caves in what is now Wellings Reserve (Stephenson and Kennedy 1980, p. 296)(see Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Location of Grotto Point, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson; the rocky point has a number of rockshelters and overhangs. Figs. 2 and 3 show two of the sandstone rockshelters which presumably gave rise to the naming of “Grotto Point” by Phillip’s party. 2 Others give the date as 28 January 1788. Nautical practice at the time was apparently to start the day at noon of what we would regard as the previous day. Thus the afternoon of 28 January was recorded as the 29th by Bradley. - 6 - Middleton: Speleological Documentation in Australia QuickTime™ and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are needed to see this picture. Fig. 2. One of the rockshelters which may Fig. 3. Another of the numerous have led to the name “Grotto Point”. rockshelters on Grotto Point.

Load more